Foresight is 20-20
by Velgamidragon
Summary: COMPLETED. "Why Father? Why would you treat me this way?" "I still do not know what Father was thinking when he gave me Tenseiga" "As long as you remain so narrowly focused on the heirloom Tetsusaiga, you will never understand your father's long-term plan." The Dog General's decisions appear needlessly cruel towards his eldest son, but maybe he knew everything would work out okay.
1. A Proposal

Foresight is 20/20

 **Author's Note: Huh. Never written an Inuyasha fanfic before. Toyed around with some ideas when I first watched the series years ago, but never really anything I wanted to put true effort into. Been rewatching some episodes though (especially those with the swords) and I am convinced there is no way Sesshomaru's and Inuyasha's father could have done everything that he did (mostly the BS he put Sesshomaru through) without knowing what would happen and how everything would turn out. So, this was born. It'll only be 3, maybe 4 chapters long.**

 **Disclaimer: I am merely playing around in the sandbox that is the InuYasha universe and exploring concepts and characters.**

* * *

 **A Proposal**

"The specter of death looms before you, Lord General."

The Great Dog Demon General paused immediately and whirled to face the source of the sound. He did not let his surprise show that he'd sensed no demonic aura nor smelt the intruder so close to his person. Even now, looking at the white-robed, hooded old woman before him, he still sensed nothing.

He narrowed his amber eyes in suspicion and he eased himself into a battle-ready stance, his feet spread wide and his knees bent. "A bold and reckless statement if you have not the power nor the courage to make good on it," he declared, placing his hand meaningfully upon Tenseiga's hilt. A warning. No demonic aura and no scent meant this being had a connection to the Netherworld. There were very few _yokai_ that had the means to defeat unearthly entities and so there were very few spirits and otherworldly beings that had defenses against such weapons. He would not fight a useless battle.

The woman's eyes were hidden by her hood, but her lips widened into an amused smile. She raised both her wrinkled hands in a pacifying motion. "Now, my Lord General, there is no need for that. I have no desire to test the capabilities of your _Heavenly Blade_."

The Great Dog Demon narrowed his eyes, but did not let loose the snarl that wanted to escape his throat at her slight against Tenseiga. She was _mocking_ him.

"What are you?" he asked instead, wondering if this old woman _really_ had no intention of fighting him.

She placed one of her too-pale hands upon her chest. "I am Atropos and I am a _Moirai_." He'd never heard of one of those. "I would honestly be surprised if you _had_ heard of my kind, Lord General. My origins are known in a land far to the west beyond your western sea and the Continent it meets. The people on this island believe in the red strings of fate, yes? Think of me as one of the caretakers of those strings."

"You control the strings of fate?" the General asked.

The old woman cackled loudly. "To an extent, but that's more the job of my younger sister, Lachesis. _My_ full-time job entails determining when it's time for those threads to be cut and those lives to end. I can either look at an individual's string or their soul and know how much time they have left."

Atropos clapped her palms together in a horizontal position and then started pulling them away from each other. When her finger tips reached each other, she pinched her thumbs to them and continued pulling, but instead of empty air, the _inu daiyokai_ was shocked to see a shining red string stretching out in the space between her hands.

"This is _your_ string, Lord General. And _this_ -" Atropos brought the right end of the string to his attention and he noticed that the tip was actually a dull red, unlike the rest of the string. "-is how much life you have left. Gotta say, this is a good long string for a powerful, warlord of a demon like yourself. Very few of the strong ones make it to this age; most of the ones that do have survived by running away and hiding like your old timer friends," she said and cracked a smile that revealed even, but yellowing teeth.

No emotions flickered across the Great Dog Demon's face, but he could not avert his eyes from that small tip of darkened red string. This could be a sham, something setup to cause him to lose focus on the present and worry unnecessarily about the future.

"Is there a point in you telling me this?" he said dully. "My future will not falter by your words."

Her smile transformed from amused to wicked instantly. "No, Lord General, I will not be the cause of your death. Your actions will be your own undoing. As for why I am telling you, my sisters and I have seen that the threads of fate will soon become entangled in a messy, unworkable knot that may cause the whole Tapestry of Life to unravel if it is not handled expediently." The Demon Lord had no idea what this woman was talking about. "We have seen that _your_ thread is the key to solving this tangled skein. Yours and those of your _sons_."

The Great Dog Demon could not help but visibly bristle at her tone. He did not like the idea of being used nor the insinuation of his son- _son_ , singular – being used either. This time, he _did_ growl and his eyes flashed red momentarily in warning. "I only have _one_ son," he said.

That wicked, _mocking_ smile did not leave the old woman's face. "For now, my Lord General, for now. But a lot can happen in a short ten years, yes?"

The General barely suppressed the shocked jolt that coursed through him. Ten years? That pathetic-looking little string measuring out his life declared he would only live another ten years? Ridiculous! Impossible! He was in his prime at the peak of his power and this fool of a woman dared to suggest he wouldn't even live to see Sesshomaru grow up to surpass him? He let loose an enraged snarl and leapt forward, finally releasing Tenseiga from its sheath. Just as he was about to swing Tenseiga down upon her head, she disappeared and the sword only slashed through empty air.

" **Such a violent temper,"** Atropos cackled merrily, her disembodied voice echoing all around the forest clearing so he couldn't locate her. **"If you change your mind in a few years and want to know how you can help protect your sons after your death, merely kill a spider with Tenseiga and I will come at your call."**

The Demon Lord heard nothing more and it seemed reasonable to assume that the old woman had left the area for good. He gave an irritable snort that his prey had escaped him and sheathed Tenseiga who seemed equally miffed. He thought of the woman's last words and rolled his eyes in annoyance. " _Kill_ a spider with Tenseiga and she'll come. Ridiculous. As if I'd ever have any need for the likes of her," he muttered and resumed his return home.

* * *

 _Atropos is the name for one of the three Fates (or Moirai) from Greek Mythology. She takes the form of an old woman and cuts the threads of life. Clotho appears as a young woman and spins the threads into existence and Lachesis appears as a middle-aged woman who measures the threads. The Japanese already have the whole red string of fate thing, so it was really easy to pair the two concepts. I took some creative inspiration about the Fates from a book series called The Incarnations of Immortality, one of which deals with the three aspects of Fate and how human lives all interconnect with each other. There's a bit more detail about it in the next chapter, but nothing that requires knowledge of the original source material._

 _I decided not to give Sesshomaru's and Inuyasha's father a name because the damn fool was never given one. Stupid dog, and I didn't feel comfortable just making one up for him. Besides, he's got plenty of titles I can use to get his identity across in writing. He was actually a fun challenge to write, to give him aspects of both Sesshomaru's and Inuyasha's personalities, but display them in an appropriate manner for his age, power, and status as a full-blooded yokai (it **does** make a difference!). I've imagined that if he was their age, he'd probably act most like Inuyasha._


	2. Offer Accepted

**Offer Accepted**

The Dog General had successfully put the old Moirai out of his mind and carried on his life just as he had done before his encounter with her, until the day he realized that he had actually fallen in love with Izayoi. He had fallen in love with a human woman and wanted her to be his.

On the heels of that realization, came the memory of Atropos's fateful words: _"For now, my Lord General, for now. But a lot can happen in a short ten years, yes?"_

"My dearest, what's wrong?" Izayoi said, her tone imploring and her expression concerned.

He did not answer her. His mind was trapped. It had been eight years since then. If the old woman had spoken true, he would only live another two years. He still only had Sesshomaru, but Atropos had been convinced he would have another son. Staring down at Izayoi's beautiful, worried features, this woman he loved and desired to possess, he knew… he _would_ have another son. A son by Izayoi, a half-demon child. The thought did not repulse him as it would have not too long ago, but it filled him with fear. His son would be an infant when he was killed (for how else could he die at this point in his life?) and he wouldn't be able to protect him from either the world of humans or _yokai_. He was destined to be rejected and outcast from both worlds and that was if he even survived those who would hunt him. He had no way to know if his unborn, _unconceived_ half-demon son would even survive his first 100 years.

If Atropos had spoken true.

And Sesshomaru, his cherished living son and heir, he was still too young to be without his guidance yet. He was just starting to try out his strength and consider challenging him to test it, but he still had no control or sense of mercy. There was still too much he had left to learn, and many of these were lessons of the heart and mind that had to be self-taught. He could not pound them into the pup's head in two years through scrolls or a sparring session.

If Atropos had spoken true.

Everything hinged on whether or not the old woman was who she claimed to be and if she had spoken the truth that day when he met her. He had to find her. He had to somehow confirm if she was being honest and true about what she'd said.

So that meant he somehow had to _kill_ a spider with _Tenseiga_. A blade that specifically could not kill anything on the mortal plane. Maybe that was the key. He scoured the land searching for any information he could find about existing spirit spiders. During his search though, he stumbled across one quite by accident. He found the tiny, colorful thing climbing up his fluffy mane when he woke up one morning. The circumstances were such that he was convinced it was not coincidence at all, but he didn't waste any time in stabbing Tenseiga through its exoskeleton anyway. It promptly split in half and from the severed 'corpse' sprung Atropos in the same white robe and hood with the same withered, long-fingered hands and a gleeful smirk upon her face. The Great Dog Demon did not waste time with pleasantries.

"Can you prove that you are who you say you are?" he demanded. "Can you prove that I will be killed in two years?"

She cocked her head to the side curiously. "Afraid for your life, are you, my Lord General?"

The Demon Lord scoffed audibly. "A foolish thing to suggest. I repeat: can you prove your claim, old woman?"

The smirk faded and Atropos brought her fingertips together, her fingers spread wide and her palms not touching. She seemed to be contemplating something. "Come with me, Lord General. I will prove my power," she said finally and started walking away.

The _inu daiyokai_ remained stationary a moment longer before he followed in her wake. He followed her until she stopped at the edge of the forest at the top of a hill, below which resided a human village. He carefully looked around, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary. He smelled no blood or demons on the wind and he couldn't hear any horses bringing warring armies. Everything seemed well here. Why had the old woman brought him here?

"Look here, Lord General," Atropos said and he glanced down at her.

Between her open palms was not a single red string, but an entire web of them. It was a bizarre arrangement. The threads were taut and seemed to be suspended in the air between her hands, for she was not holding onto even a single thread with her fingers. Some were very short and stopped abruptly midway to her right hand. Some of them even veered up or down and seemed to fade from his sight no matter how hard he tried to see where they ended up. They were all varying lengths and varying ratios of shiny to dull red. The Demon Dog General frowned as he stared at the thin threads. How were these supposed to prove that the Moirai was telling the truth?

"These are the life threads of every single one of these villagers. The infants are typically the ones that are mostly dark red and the elderly are the longest and mostly bright red. Looking at these threads, I know every single one of their fates as of this point in time. That is not to say that my sisters and I won't need to reweave some threads in the Tapestry if a snag comes up, but we very rarely need to make such a direct interference. Look there."

She pointed down the hill and he looked where she indicated. She was pointing to a young man walking along one of the paths leading out of the village and into the forest.

"His name is Reiyuku. He will not survive today," she said solemnly. The Great Dog Demon frowned and sniffed the air experimentally. He was young and he was suffering from no sickness or injury. To his senses, he seemed perfectly healthy yet Atropos was staring at a rather short thread that was almost completely bright red. She at least seemed convinced. "His death is soon. He will meet his end in this forest. Come, let's observe, Lord General."

Keeping silent, he followed her through the woods, keeping his eyes peeled and his ears open. Just because he was a powerful _yokai_ didn't mean he could let his guard down. Atropos suddenly threw her arm out to the side in front of him. "Stop here. This is close enough," she said quietly.

Still frowning, the Demon Lord looked at the human man, this Reiyuku, that Atropos had pointed out. He was inside the forest kneeling before a large tree and picking mushrooms. He didn't seem any more likely to die here than he had in the village. There weren't even any demons near enough for him to smell. He was honestly getting impatient. He wanted the proof now. If Atropos truly was one of three Moirai responsible for the red strings of fate, then she surely knew what fate was supposed to befall Reiyuku. What was she waiting for?

And then…

His ears twitched. The crack of a tree branch!

From out of nowhere, a large dead tree branch came tumbling down from the forest canopy directly toward the human man. It came down so fast, he didn't even have time to react and the human barely had time to scream before it crushed him completely, the smell of blood immediately assaulting his nose. The Demon Lord stood there in shock and then quickly glanced over at Atropos's hands. The red string she'd been observing was now completely bright red and a golden halo of light surrounded it. It couldn't be…! He rushed over to the fallen tree branch and lifted the heavy wood off the human. Yes, he was dead. There was no denying it. Gritting his teeth, he tossed the tree branch away and moved to unsheathe Tenseiga.

"You will do no such thing, Lord General," Atropos barked sharply.

The Great Dog Demon growled and glared at the old woman. He did not take orders from anyone! "And how will you stop me from saving this man, pray tell?"

"This is his fated end, Lord General. Everyone has a time and place to die, even you. Not all humans and demons have the luxury of either fading away in old age or choosing the manner of their demise, especially in this time period on this island. Many die young and violently, whether by natural accident or by murder."

He smirked and revealed his sharp canines. "I still haven't heard you tell me how you will stop me, Atropos," he said. "The wood is rotten and would have come down sooner or later. This was merely a natural accident caused by being in the wrong place at the wrong time. His death is undeserved and his life cut far shorter than it needs to be. He's old enough that I'm willing to bet he's married with a family back home in the village. As a father myself, how can I simply stand by and let his family suffer losing him when I have the power and the will to bring him back and prevent that tragedy?"

"He _is_ married," Atropos said, looking at her red threads. "Married with a three-year-old daughter and a son on the way. He was a good husband and father and he will be sorely missed. You are correct that the family will grieve and mourn his loss. If you resurrect him, it is true you will return him to them and they will not suffer, but you do not know what _I_ do, Lord General. His wife is still young and beautiful and she will attract the eye of a young lord who will choose to marry her, regardless of her already having children. She will have three children by him and his second child will become a powerful monk that will stay in this village his whole life to protect it from _yokai_ and other external threats. This particular son's descendants appear to be equally powerful protectors. Are you still willing to revive that woman's now-dead husband even if it means preventing three new lives from ever having the chance to be born? Human lives _are_ short, but not all that is terrible _remains_ terrible. Hope and happiness can be born from despair and sorrow if only one has the strength to overcome it. But you already know this, don't you Lord General? This is why you have such compassion towards humans and love a human woman."

The Great Demon Lord said nothing. He simply continued to stare down at the dead human, his golden eyes unwavering on his form, and his hand still on Tenseiga's hilt. He could not deny the old woman's words, _any_ of them, and it frustrated him.

"You are not a god, Lord General. You cannot save everyone. Not even the gods have that kind of power."

With great effort, the General released his grip on Tenseiga and let his hand fall uselessly to his side. "So, you are who you say you are. You _do_ have the power to manipulate the threads of fate."

"I do, Lord General."

He straightened up and whirled to face the old Moirai head-on. His face was an expressionless mask that revealed nothing. "I am to die in two years based on what you told me last time. If I remember correctly, you sought me out eight years ago because you believed that I could be useful in helping you overcome a problem. You suggested that I would also be able to protect my sons after I died. How do you intend to accomplish this?"

The smile on the woman's face widened into a triumphant smirk. "It's a simple matter for a being such as myself to be able to peer a short distance into a life thread's future. In a couple centuries, the threads are at a strong risk of entanglement, no matter which ones Lachesis pulls and reweaves or which ones I cut. My sisters and I have successfully plotted out a _potential_ pattern that should resolve the whole mess and maintain the Tapestry's integrity, but this pattern is only possible with your foresight and action. I will show you visions of the future that follows this pattern. All of them are important regarding the safety and well-being of your sons, but I cannot promise what you will see, nor explain them. You must reach your own conclusions. Are you ready, my Lord General?"

No, but he was hardly going to answer as such. "There is no sense delaying," he said, withholding a resigned sigh from tumbling unbidden past his lips.

"Prepare yourself, Lord General," Atropos said, now suspending five red strings between her hands, one all dark red and hovering uncertainly at a juncture between two other red strings. A bright white light seemed to infuse all five of them and forcefully assaulted his vision, blinding him.

Everything he saw after seemed fuzzy around the edges, but were otherwise startlingly clear. And the first thing he saw was Izayoi dead in childbirth and surrounded by smoke and fire. He barely had time to process it and the shock that accompanied it before the vision shifted to another.

There was a group of people in this one, including a monk, a demon slayer woman, a strangely-dressed priestess, a twin-tailed cat, and a young _kitsune_ all arrayed in a battle formation. And right in the front and center of the group, defending them and wielding his own Tetsusaiga as a black, starry blade, was a young man he'd never met, but instantly recognized. If the white hair and golden eyes didn't give him away, then his face did, for it was his own much younger visage that stared back. This young man was his son, his unnamed _hanyo_ son that didn't even exist yet, and that he would never get to know.

The image was already shifting to the next one without his consent, and this time, it was of Sesshomaru fully-grown and standing over a dead human girl. Tenseiga pulsed to life and his son's brow furrowed slightly. Only then did he draw the spirit blade and hold it out to the side in his right hand. His left hand seemed conspicuously absent. He swung and the familiar blue light cut through the Netherworld's minions, returning life to the small human child.

Once again, the General had no time to process his shock before the next vision began. He was in this one and he was holding a necklace with a starry blue stone set into the pendant, a meido stone. He watched himself offer the necklace to his mate and Sesshomaru's mother. He was speaking, but he couldn't hear the words and she gave the necklace a curious look before returning his gaze and giving him a faint smile achingly reminiscent of their younger years when he first began courting her. He didn't think she could still make that kind of expression.

His mate's face faded away and was replaced with a vision of Tetsusaiga horrifyingly scabardless, but imbedded upright in a stone pedestal surrounded by skulls and giant rib bones. The vision seemed to pull back and he realized with a start those were _his_ giant rib bones and this was his skeleton. How unnerving. Clearly, Testsusaiga had been placed into his body cavity _after_ he'd passed away.

He was more than happy for the change of scenery, but the vision itself was not pleasant. It was of his sons, both of them, and Sesshomaru was holding his half-brother up into the air while drawing something out from his right eye. It was a black pearl, it seemed, and he belatedly realized that Sesshomaru seemed to have both arms this time and Tetsusaiga was not at his younger son's side. So the visions were not in order? The expression on his eldest pup's face as he observed the small black jewel was nothing short of smug triumph.

The next vision could not have been more striking for its contrast. He saw Sesshomaru again and he was standing in an open field of yellow flowers, his only company the dying female _yokai_ before him. He could plainly read his son's distress as he gazed upon the woman and he watched as Sesshomaru moved to draw Tenseiga. He noted that unlike the other vision with the human girl, Tenseiga had not spoken before he'd done so. His son's hand was on the hilt, but only anguish that _he_ could see filled his countenance, and the General understood. She wasn't dead yet, but Sesshomaru wanted to prevent it and he couldn't. She was beyond Tenseiga's power. The Great Dog Demon couldn't help but be impressed as the vision began to fade into the next one. That young man in the future hardly resembled his pup at all as he was right now.

Clawed hands soaked and dripping in blood streaked across the image before it had finished focusing properly. A large purple demon with an odd spider-shaped burn on its back was completely shredded and annihilated. The owner of those claws turned around mid-jump and he saw it was his youngest, but something was wrong. The whites of his eyes were red and his golden irises were blue. His fangs were much longer and he had one jagged purple stripe on each cheek. If his youngest pup wasn't to be a _hanyo_ , the Demon Lord would have thought he was midway through transformation into his true form. He did not seem to have that ability though. His son cracked his knuckles and the terrifying expression on his face screamed of his blood lust and the satisfaction of killing his prey. The Demon Lord frowned. Somehow, this wasn't right.

He wasn't allowed to wonder about it for too long, for his eldest had reclaimed his mind's eye. Sesshomaru was standing tall – injured, but not dreadfully so – and a pulsing cloud of yellow light entwined with green cords of energy was emanating from his left shoulder. He threw the light forward and it exploded outward, instantly disintegrating a monstrous mass of demons. When the light faded away, his left arm was stretched out and wielding a sword the Great Dog Demon had never seen before. It resembled Tenseiga in shape, but it had jagged, square-like designs etched into the blade on the dull back edge, the guard, and the hilt. He didn't know this sword, but he could tell it was a powerful one, and how could it not be? It was born of his eldest son's own flesh and power. Not even he had been able to accomplish something like that. Sesshomaru had no need for Tetsusaiga, So'unga, or Tenseiga to prove himself a powerful _daiyokai_ and he felt fatherly pride swell within his breast. His pup would indeed grow to surpass him one day.

The hazy quality prickling the edge of his vision suddenly cleared and he found himself abruptly standing back in the forest by that fallen tree branch with the dead human underneath it. Atropos closed her hands into fists and the red strings disappeared from view. "Saw something wonderful or terrible?" she asked gently, her voice unusually kind.

For a moment, the General had no idea what she was talking about until he realized to his horror that his cheeks were damp with moisture. He'd been _crying!?_ Mortified, he swiped the horrid tears from his face and looked away from the Moirai, utterly humiliated. He had cried! _Him!_ And in front of a complete stranger, no less!

Atropos chuckled under her breath briefly, then spoke, "This may be the best possible future my sister can weave, but it will not be an easy path. There will be sacrifice, pain, sorrow, bitterness, death, fury, jealousy, heartache, and betrayal, but those boys will overcome it, for they are yours and they are fated to be strong. You have seen the visions of this future, but I cannot tell you what actions you must take. You must come to those decisions on your own or they will have no meaning. Goodbye Lord General and best of luck to you in your final endeavors. This is the last we will ever meet."

Now that he wasn't charging with the intent of beheading her with Tenseiga, the Great Dog Demon saw she didn't disappear like he'd thought last time, but shrunk into a tiny spider and escaped up into the sky on a single thread of spider silk. When she had completely vanished from sight, he cast his amber eyes back to the ground and began slowly walking back to his home. He could easily fly there, but he wanted the time to think things over. He had not seen much and the visions he'd been granted had been nothing more than quick flashes, but they were loaded with important information and hidden implications. He had to sort through them and fully understand what he'd witnessed in those visions and then make the appropriate preparations based on his final assessments before his death in two years. There was no time to waste.

* * *

 _Atropos left the message she did "Kill a spider with Tenseiga" because it put her in control of when they would meet. She needs him to take action, so even though it was eight years ago that she left him with her words and warnings, she still kept tabs on him **just in case** he changed his mind (she had a pretty good hunch that he would)._

 _Though it doesn't mean anything and nobody would know without my saying so, yeah, I'm alluding that the second child of that lord who will marry Reiyuku's widow is an ancestor of Miroku's. There's still at least 150 years before Naraku even exists after all._

 _Honestly, it was difficult choosing which scenes from the future the Dog General should be privy to. They had to be quick and important, but I didn't want him to be swamped down with too much. He would never remember it all. As Atropos said, she showed him the future so that he has a sense for what he has to do, but he's the one who has to put in the effort to make it happen (and also reconcile with what he must be responsible for)._


	3. Preparations: Hosenki

**Author's Note: Do you know how hard it is to write a character that only appears in a few episodes and isn't anything more than a target for the protagonists to fight and gain a power-up from? Because that's what Hosenki is.  
**

* * *

 **Preparations: Hosenki**

The following year consisted of far fewer battles and far more information gathering than he'd ever conducted in such a short period of time. Whether Izayoi or Sesshomaru noticed his preoccupation with other matters, he could not say for they never spoke of it. He couldn't say whether Sesshomaru's mother noticed either seeing as how he'd neither seen nor spoken to her in about twenty years. There were times when he left home that Sesshomaru watched him go with barely-disguised disdain and he supposed his pup thought he was going to see Izayoi, but it mattered not what his son thought. What he was doing was for his own good, whether he would ever appreciate his efforts or not.

Sesshomaru was to receive Tenseiga and his younger son was to receive Tetsusaiga. That had been very clear in the visions he had received from Atropos, but it was not that simple to execute in practice. He knew without asking that Sesshomaru only valued his Tetsusaiga and So'unga of the three blades he possessed. To be bequeathed with Tenseiga, the spirit-killing blade, at his young age would gravely insult his eldest pup's pride, especially if his younger, 'inferior' _hanyo_ half-brother received Tetsusaiga. He knew it would be even worse if Sesshomaru ever learned that Tenseiga had originally been a part of Tetsusaiga. He had not intentionally hid the sword's origin, but the fight with Shishinki had occurred shortly before Sesshomaru was born and he'd never had a reason to tell Tenseiga's origin story to his boy. He _liked_ to think Sesshomaru would abide by his last wishes, but he was no fool. He was the only one who could put Sesshomaru in his place and force him to show throat. Without him around, his pup was bound to seek out Tetsusaiga and possess it by any means. But Tetsusaiga _needed_ to be given to his youngest pup for a multitude of reasons that did not affect his eldest at all, and they all came down to his blood.

 _Hanyos_ were not common and all the ones he'd heard of were still young. Even the oldest he'd heard of had only lived to be 207, and he'd thought he'd known why before he started actively seeking information. Sadly, the most common cause of _hanyo_ deaths was by becoming food for other _yokai_. While the Great Dog Demon understood the true strength that humans possessed, even he would admit that this strength was more emotional and mental, rather than physical. Half-demons typically seemed to have greater tenacity and endurance against stress and anxiety compared to demons, but that meant nothing when it came to physically defending themselves against the physically more-powerful demons. This made _hanyos_ an easy target for _yokai_ to increase their strength by means of the demon blood in their veins without a significant risk of getting killed. He suspected this would not be… _as_ great a concern for his own son once he was born, but only because he would be the son of a _daiyokai_. Most half-demons were not so lucky. According to the visions, his youngest pup would successfully reach his teenage years on his own without Tetsusaiga's aid.

But he _would_ need it because of the second most common cause of _hanyo_ deaths, and this was one he had been completely unaware of until Myoga had one day jumped onto his neck for a blood meal and delivered to him the terrible truth of the _hanyo_ blood. Half-demons that found themselves in mortal peril did not have the physical strength and abilities to protect themselves the way full demons did, but they still had the demon blood that demanded survival at all costs. _All_ costs. The demon blood was, in fact, too powerful for the human blood and in such desperate situations, the demon blood took control and sacrificed what it perceived as weak in order to protect the body. In other words, the human soul was slowly devoured by the demon blood every time the body was in desperate danger until nothing existed but the blood lust and the pleasure in killing. The only way to prevent this was to either seal the demon blood or empower the human blood.

The General frowned when he learned this. That must have been what he saw in that last vision with his youngest. That bizarre, half-transformed state… If his son was to become anything like him, he would be a warrior and wouldn't back down from a fight, and his human blood would make rash decisions for the sake of protecting his friends and loved ones, no matter if he had the power or not. That was no good if his pup was to survive.

"Myoga," he began slowly. "I have other work I must accomplish, so I want you to seek out Totosai and carry my words to him. If a half-demon possessed a part of their demon parent's body, would that be enough to seal the demon blood?"

"Uh, well yes, of course I can ask him, but what are you-?"

"-I look forward to his reply," the Demon Lord said, ignoring Myoga's question and taking off into the air without him.

He knew his old friends, Myoga, Totosai, Saya, and even Bokuseno (he had gone to ask the old Magnolia if the scabbard's abilities would still work for a half-demon) were suspicious of his behavior and questions, even more so than his son and mistress, but Izayoi's son was still not conceived yet. He would not deign to speak otherwise until that was true. If Tetsusaiga could be used to seal his pup's demon blood _and_ offer him a means of protecting himself, then it was doubly necessary to make sure the boy actually received his inheritance. He would die while his youngest was still an infant and Sesshomaru would have no compunctions about stealing the sword if he didn't hide it until his half-demon pup was old enough. He would have the sword placed within the monstrous skeleton of his true form in the place of mists and clouds, the border between this world and the next. It was not easy to get there; he only knew of a single doorway in the Mountain of Fire, and none could pass through there alive without Tenseiga. He knew _where_ he needed to hide it, but not _how_ to get his youngest there without being turned into stone.

One of the visions that still puzzled him was the one where Sesshomaru pulled out a black pearl from his half-brother's right eye. There had to be some significance to the black pearl and a connection between _it_ and getting his youngest safely to his inheritance, but his knowledge on the border of the Netherworld and magical jewels was severely limited. However, he had another old friend that knew a great deal about magical jewels, being a Grand Master Jewelmaker and all. He was going to see Hosenki now and maybe he could ask about where to find a meido stone as well. It seemed too much to hope for that the oyster _yokai_ would just happen to have one lying around. The meido stone would assist in developing the Meido Zangetsuha he'd stolen from Shishinki ages ago.

As the Great Dog Demon flew to Hosenki, he tried not to think too deeply about what it all meant. His youngest wielding the black blade of the Meido in _Tetsusaiga_ … giving a meido stone to _Sesshomaru's_ mother… and knowing that _Tenseiga_ was the one who currently possessed the incomplete Meido Zangetsuha. It brought a bitter taste to his mouth. _Physically,_ Sesshomaru would survive just fine, but emotionally… His pup cared for him immensely even if he took after his mother and never let it show on his face, and this scheme _reeked_ of foul play and favoritism. If Sesshomaru didn't hate him for this, he would be genuinely shocked. He turned his thoughts away from that line of thought and turned them back to preventing Sesshomaru from stealing Tetsusaiga from his younger brother after he died. It was frustrating! With so much fuss over his _fangs_ , he didn't even have a plan for what to do with So'unga! Best as he could tell, So'unga didn't go to either son, which was just as well. His youngest wouldn't have the power to protect himself from the sword's demonic aura and Sesshomaru didn't have the temperament yet to wield it responsibly. The cursed thing would probably have to be destroyed; he honestly didn't trust anyone apart from himself to wield it properly. Grrah, so frustrating.

"Saya, you might want to start thinking of what to do with So'unga if I ever meet an untimely end," the Demon Lord muttered dryly under his breath, not caring if the old sword sheath actually heard him or not.

The Great Dog Demon landed gracefully at the top of Hosenki's cliff and waited patiently for the old man to put aside any projects he might have been working on before his arrival. He did not end up waiting long. The still pool suddenly surged with life and swamped the surrounding land by Testsusaiga's length times three. The top of the shell emerged from below the surface and rose up until the horizontal opening was just barely visible. It opened at its hinge in the back, revealing the aged Hosenki and his teenage son, Hosenki Jr sitting with him.

"It's good to see you, my Lord," Hosenki said with a deep bow that his son silently imitated. "To what do I owe the honor of your visit?"

"A question and perhaps a favor if you are capable of it," the Dog General answered vaguely. He leapt across the water in one bound and sat down on his knees before the two oyster demons, ready to conduct business. "I'll get right to the point. Hosenki, you are a Grand Master Jewelmaker and have carried on in this profession for nearly 3000 years now. If there is anybody who would know, it is you. Is it possible to use a jewel to forge a path to the border between the realm of the living and the realm of the dead while the traveler is still alive?"

Hosenki gave him a deep, scrutinizing look. "Not only is it _possible_ , my Lord, but it's doable. However, such a pathway may only be opened once or twice and if the traveler does not return through that pathway by the time it closes, they will be trapped there forever unless they have another means to escape. Why are you asking me this, my Lord? If you wish to go there, your Tenseiga is a much safer guarantee for your survival than one of my jewels." he said and he had the same suspicious expression on his face that all his other friends did when he'd asked them questions. Did even Hosenki all the way out here and away from everything know about his human woman?

The _inu daiyokai_ released an irritated snort. Could everyone get off his back about this already? "The jewel is not for me and Tenseiga cannot be relied upon for this endeavor. Can you do it, Hosenki? Can you make a jewel with this power?"

The suspicious look did not leave Hosenki's eyes, but he bowed his head nonetheless. "I can, my Lord. Do you have any other requests for this jewel?"

The Demon Lord was about to shake his head when he paused and his eyebrows furrowed momentarily. "Does the color or jewel type affect the strength of the jewel's power?"

Hosenki smiled knowingly, and he knew he'd passed whatever test Hosenki had spontaneously come up with. He liked doing that for some reason. "The color doesn't, but the type of jewel used plays a drastic impact upon its abilities. I'm thinking a pearl would be the best jewel for this situation."

"Really?" the Great Dog Demon said, fighting a knowing smirk of his own from crossing his face. "Then is black a possible color option?"

Hosenki gave a fond sigh of exasperation. "Possible, my Lord, but certainly not common. I expected no less of you. The pearl should be completed in two months if all goes well, three if not. I'll send word to you if its completion is delayed and I recommend picking it up yourself when it's done, my Lord. What I'm imagining of it will likely be bigger than Myoga when it's done and although he would have the strength to carry it, we both know that such a powerful jewel would hinder his ability to hide from danger."

"Two to three months then. That is suitable, Hosenki. Thank you."

"The pleasure is mine, my Lord. Is there anything more I can do as your humble vassal?"

"There is." He'd almost forgotten about his other question until Hosenki said something. "Do you know where I can find a meido stone?"

Hosenki looked up sharply with a deep frown etched on his face. "A meido stone? What for?"

"An idea I have about how to complete the Meido Zangetsuha technique," he responded. It was technically true and it was none of Hosenki's business to know the details involved.

"Well to be frank, my Lord, meido stones are not found, they're made, and considering your current fondness for humans, you might not care for the method."

" _I_ will decide whether or not I care for the method after you describe it to me," he said, letting a slight warning growl edge its way into his voice. He was getting _really_ tired of everyone walking on eggshells around him whenever it came to humans.

Unfortunately, Hosenki's original assessment of his feelings toward the method of making a meido stone was correct. He did not care for the method at all. It was a stone that served as a direct portal into the Netherworld, a similar but more difficult piece of magic compared to just opening a portal to the border. The primary ingredient required human sacrifices. Humans had to be slain and then their souls summoned back from the Netherworld, but stolen and crystalized before they returned to their bodies so they would still retain the Netherworld essence. Worse still, there was no set number for how many human souls were required; the strength of the meido stone directly correlated with how many souls were used to make it. He didn't even get to ask before Hosenki was already explaining that it _had_ to be human souls. Not all _yokai_ had souls and even if they did, they had nowhere near the strength of a human one.

The Great Dog Demon acknowledged he did _not_ like this at all. And then he decided he didn't care. Just because all humans had souls didn't make them all innocent. Even Hosenki agreed that malignant souls would work just as well as innocent ones. It did wonders to ease the Demon Lord's conscience and he immediately vowed to procure at least 100 corrupted human souls for this meido stone. He took off to go hunting immediately after making this declaration and leaving Hosenki behind with his task of creating the black pearl.

He did not reveal his true thoughts on the matter and he had thankfully not been forced to. It would have plagued him, but if the meido stone had required _innocent_ human souls, he'd have set out to acquire them with no hesitation. He was still an _inu_ _yokai_ , possessive and resolved to protect what was his. This meido stone was necessary for Sesshomaru's future growth and survival, so he would do whatever it cost him, no matter how unpleasant. He valued human lives, but not those of strangers _over_ _his_ _own son_. He was not _that_ soft-hearted.

* * *

 _Considering Sesshomaru had absolutely no idea that Tenseiga used to be a part of Tetsusaiga, I don't think it's wrong of me to assume that the separation occurred before he was born (or at least too young to remember), but wow, that would make Shishinki super old._

 _There are so many demons that have tried to kill Inuyasha just because he's a half-demon, and although he's strong, he's definitely lacking in physical abilities compared to his brother and father. Other half-demons seem to have similarly suffered and it would not surprise me in the slightest if they have a higher mortality rate because of the prejudice on both sides and the demon obsession with seeking power to gain power._

 _I completely made up how to make a meido stone, but I admit that my inspiration came from the process of making a philosopher's stone in Fullmetal Alchemist. I am not under the impression that meido stones just exist willy nilly wherever they please._

 _The Inu no Taisho might have another son on the way eventually, but he's raised Sesshomaru almost into adulthood and even if he didn't see visions of the future, I do believe, even knowing what was best for Sesshomaru, he'd still feel uneasy about the actions he would have to take. There was no way he **wouldn't** see that giving Inuyasha the Tetsusaiga **would** look like favoritism to Sesshomaru. If he truly concocted the whole convoluted plan with the swords, then he wasn't stupid or imperceptive._

 _It's honestly times like this where I really wish that we got to see more than the one scene in the third movie with the Dog General to get a better sense of what he was really like and what his views and values were. It was stated that he valued human lives and felt compassion for them, but there was also no hesitation in his swing when it came to annihilating the human guards at Izayoi's place. Also, he's still a full demon and a powerful conqueror at that, so his emotions and perceptions are not the same as those of a human. I decided to take more of a grayish middle-ground with him where he cares about human lives **for the most part** , unless they stand in the way of his goals, and then he cuts them down without mercy. It would also fit along with Sesshomaru's very early description of "great and terrible father" before the series was ten episodes in._


	4. Preparations: Totosai

**Author's Note: I've done the final count on chapters for this story and there's only two more left before it's done. It would have been only four if this chapter, the previous one, and the next one hadn't screamed and whined at me to be separated into three.  
**

* * *

 **Preparations: Totosai**

By the time the Dog General had acquired 200 crystalized human souls (he'd gone a bit overboard), Myoga had confirmed for him from Totosai that a _hanyo's_ demon blood _could_ be sealed by possessing a part of the _yokai_ parent, and Hosenki had already finished the black pearl. He was now ready to work on the meido stone the Demon Lord would give to the Lady Mother to help their son in the future. Ironically, the hardest part of making the meido stone wasn't, in fact, _making the meido stone_ or acquiring the ingredients, but giving the stone to her along with the proper words to make sure Sesshomaru received the lessons he needed to. If the Dog Demon General was destined to die before he could see the pup surpass him, then by the gods, he was going to make sure he continued his education from beyond the grave. He had the black pearl now though, so that was one step in the right direction of getting Tetsusaiga taken care of. He had just gotten back home and started writing out his final wishes in the will when he paused and frowned. There was… something he was forgetting… Something very crucial, but he couldn't think of what.

First, he declared that Sesshomaru would receive Tenseiga upon his death. He did not feel the need to elaborate on this. His old friends were wonderful and useful assets in their own ways, but they were not warriors and Sesshomaru had no personal respect for them (except Bokuseno for some reason). As long as his eldest _got_ the Tenseiga, he didn't care how they decided to give it to him. To be fair, the issue of heirloom distribution had never centered around Tenseiga though; _Tetsusaiga_ was the problem child in this whole affair. Tenseiga received a single column's worth of writing on the page. Tetsusaiga took up at least five times as much space on the paper as the Great Dog Demon carefully described Tetsusaiga's (scabbardless – he could already imagine Totosai bawling his eyes out) placement into his skeletal stomach cavity where it would reside in the border between the afterlife and the mortal plane. After such, the black pearl that would link to that in-between world would be placed into his youngest son's right eye as soon as physically possible, for it was to his youngest that he bequeathed the Tetsusaiga. The child was not to be told about the sword's existence or where it resided under any circumstances.

The only clue he would leave to the location of his tomb (and the sword by extension) would be though a riddle:

 _Seeing, yet never seen._

 _Protected, yet never known to its protector._

He thought he was pretty clever coming up with that riddle.

The Demon Lord sat back and observed the entirety of his will one last time. Tenseiga and Tetsusaiga were both on there with instructions for how to disperse the latter. He still didn't know what he was going to do about So'unga though. That would have to wait. He was working on acquiring the meido stone, but that wasn't necessary for the will. Everything seemed to be in order. Tenseiga would go to Sesshomaru and he _would_ eventuallyuse it, even if he only initially kept it for the sake of it being his father's sword, and Testsusaiga would go to his youngest pup to enable him to protect himself and his loved ones. He'd even come up with a way to ensure Sesshomaru didn't take it from him before he had the chance to fight back.

Wait.

In the vision, _Sesshomaru_ had been the one to draw the black pearl out of his half-brother's eye.

Crap.

There was currently nothing stopping his eldest from just removing the sword from his skeleton and cutting down his half-brother right then and there once he arrived at his gravesite.

The Great Dog Demon indulged in a very rare display of childish emotion and slammed his forehead on his desk with an audible groan of frustration. He'd been so focused on preventing Sesshomaru from even _finding_ the stupid sword that he hadn't even spared a thought for how he was going to _keep_ the sword away from him. Why couldn't that pup be a good boy for once and just obey his father's final wishes without question like the dutiful son he was supposed to be? And he _still_ didn't know what he was doing with So'unga, curse it all! Why wasn't he allowed to put off dying for another hundred years or so? Even fifty years! It would make things so much easier. He slapped a calloused hand over his eyes and left it there. It seemed he had to pay a visit to Totosai after all and see if he could help come up with a solution for his sword problems. He was also starting to suspect he'd have to reveal some of the future to the old swordsmith, seeing as how he would be responsible for fixing and modifying the two swords when he was gone.

Journeying to Totosai's volcano took two full day's flight from the Western Lands and he arrived in the late afternoon. It was impossible to tell deep in the volcano like this, but it didn't bother him at all.

"TOTOSAI!" he bellowed. "ARE YOU HERE?"

The question wasn't really necessary. He could faintly smell him under the thick smoke, ash, and char of his volcanic home, but he could also hear the metallic banging of his hammer against a metal blade. The question was more to be polite than because he was wondering about his location. He took in a deep inhale while he waited though, but he didn't smell Myoga anywhere. Good. This meeting was only for Totosai, and Myoga was too much of a gossip.

"Aye, I'm here," Totosai called back from within the skeleton that served as both his house and workshop, not bothering to come out and greet him.

The Demon Lord had not expected him to, and he took the words as an invitation to step in. Totosai had been working on something, but he immediately set down the raw metal and silently extended one hand out to him. The General of course knew what he wanted. It was a ritual between the four of them, the creator, the wielder, and the two demon swords. He drew both fangs from the red sash around his waist and laid them carefully upon his lap. First, he offered Tetsusaiga to the old swordsmith and bowed his head slightly once the weapon changed hands. Totosai acknowledged it with a nod of his own and removed Tetsusaiga partway out of its sheath. He said nothing as his large, bulbous eyes inspected the blade and, the _daiyokai_ suspected, listened to the sword's soul. The smith's eyes narrowed to horizontal slits and the Great Dog Demon had a pretty good idea what Tetsusaiga was telling him to cause that expression.

Totosai reseated Tetsusaiga into the sheath without a word though and set it down in his own lap. "Now, the Tenseiga?" Totosai said, his hand extended once more for the younger sword.

The actions both _yokai_ took with the second sword were exactly the same as the first, even Totosai's eye narrowing again. No, this time, he was scowling at Tenseiga and only then did the Great Dog Demon feel a little uncomfortable for the scrutiny. Tenseiga too, was resheathed and placed on Totosai's lap, but he did not immediately give them back and the Demon Lord knew this wasn't good. Totosai may be as much of a coward as Myoga when it came to battles, but he was dead serious about his swords and would not allow them to be mistreated, not if there was anything he could do about it.

"Tetsusaiga and Tenseiga have told me a _very_ interesting story, my Lord. A story about _you_ slaying humans, then bringing back their souls and crystalizing them before they were able to return to their bodies. And you did this all so you could gather ingredients to create a meido stone. _Tell me_ your fangs are just getting senile and old like me and are just making up stories. Tell me you haven't been so _foolishly abusing_ their powers!" Totosai demanded.

The Great Dog Demon was hardly intimidated by his old friend's words, but to hear the truth spoken so boldly caused him to feel a painful stab of guilt. Tetsusaiga had been put off by the amount of humans it slew, but otherwise remained whole. It was Tenseiga whose powers he had abused and whom he'd ignored even as the sword cried out against the misuse. Tenseiga was either a spirit-killing blade or a healing blade. _One_ or the _other_. Tenseiga was rigid in its purpose and stealing the souls it resurrected before they returned to their bodies after bringing them back from the Underworld was _not_ its intended purpose. Even now after the two-week-long reprieve, the Great Dog Demon could still sense the blade's distress. He said nothing to the sword's creator. He bore full responsibility for his actions and he was not going to make any excuses for himself.

Totosai sighed heavily and laid his hands protectively upon the scabbards of both swords. "You've been acting strange now for a while, Master. Everyone who knows you and has interacted with you in the past year has noticed. You've been askin' for information about _hanyos_ , portals to the border between this world and the afterlife, and even going against the wills of your swords _and_ your own heart to gather raw materials for a meido stone. What're you planning? Maybe you don't owe the explanation to _me_ , but _somebody's_ gotta know."

The Great Dog Demon could not have asked for a more perfect opener into the conversation he wanted to have. "Actually, it _is_ you I owe the explanation to, Totosai."

It should have been impossible for Totosai's eyes to widen any further, but somehow he managed it and his jaw dropped in shock. "Wait, come again?"

The General launched into his tale without further prompting. "Nine years ago now, I met a goddess that controls the red strings of fate and she predicted my death in ten years. Her visit was short and I did not believe her words, but she left with a message to contact her if I wished to know how to protect my sons from beyond the grave."

"'Sons'?" Totosai said, his eyes narrowed once again.

The Demon Lord nodded. "Yes, I am fated to have another son, a child born by Izayoi."

"Well, that would certainly explain why you've been askin' about _hanyos_ recently, but unless the woman's already conceived, you're runnin' out of time to do it before you're supposed to die in a year," Totosai said flippantly. Totosai didn't believe him.

"I was equally skeptical that I would have another son. I already had Sesshomaru, but the goddess laughed and said that a lot can change in a mere ten years," he said, acknowledging Totosai's unspoken disbelief with his own. "As soon as she left, I completely put the woman out of my mind. How could _I_ , an _inu daiyokai_ still in my prime, be brought down in such a short time span? I didn't think anymore of the goddess until just last year the very instant I realized I loved Izayoi. Eight years prior, I never conceived I would _fall in love_ with a human and desire her, and the old woman's words came back to me."

The Great Dog Demon closed his eyes momentarily and glanced off to the side at the cave wall, but not really looking at it. Only in front of his friends, would he allow such displays.

"She'd known that I would fall in love with Izayoi, so what if there was some truth to her words? What if she had spoken true about how much time I had left? Would I really not live to see this infant son of mine grow into a man or see Sesshomaru surpass me? I had to ascertain for myself the true extent of her powers and whether they were real or this was merely a clever façade. I sought her out and determined she was real and then I learned of her true intentions. Of course, she had not sought me out on a whim."

He returned his gaze from the wall and met Totosai's large eyes once more. "I don't pretend to understand what her work with the strings of fate entails, but I gathered that all paths led to disaster except one, but only if I took steps _now_ before my death to ensure adequate protection for my sons. The goddess showed me visions of this optimal future, only short flashes but heavy with important information, that I had to act upon in order to make it come true. She did not tell me _what_ I needed to do or _how_ , for my actions would have no meaning without my heart involved in the process. All of my efforts for the past year now have been focusing on accomplishing all these tasks before my death in just one more year."

The Demon Lord ignored the shocked disbelief he saw taking over Totosai's expression. He believed him now and his mind was now trying to wrap around the truth of it all. The truth that he would be gone from this world in just one more year. "I have decided that Tetsusaiga will go to my youngest son, and therein lies the greatest challenge I have faced this past year."

Totosai frowned with concern. "You sure it's wise to leave Sesshomaru with So'unga?"

"Sesshomaru will receive Tenseiga," the dog demon corrected.

"WHAT?! ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND, HE'LL KILL US! YOU KNOW HOW THAT BOY IS! HE'LL BE INSULTED HE WAS LEFT WITH THE HEALING BLADE!" Totosai shouted in horror. He had correctly assumed that he and Myoga would be responsible for distributing the heirloom swords.

"I did not stipulate in my will _how_ you may go about giving the sword to my son just so long as he receives and keeps it," the Demon Lord admitted with a weary sigh. "The Tetsusaiga is the main point of concern for this very reason."

"What about So'unga?"

"We're not talking about So'unga!" he barked irritably, though his words lacked the heat of true anger.

"Fine, so _why_ are you risking _my_ life to give the unborn whelp the fang that his older brother will covet and seek out the instant he finds out it wasn't given to him?"

The Demon Lord debated how much he should tell Totosai about his reasons for giving the Tetsusaiga to his half-demon son. Well, if Totosai didn't already know, he would later when the boy went through that partial transformation he'd witnessed in the vision. Myoga had all the information, so it wouldn't be lost with his death.

"Because Sesshomaru won't need it. He already has the power and the skill to protect himself without a sword and his power will only grow with age. I have seen it, Totosai. He will surpass me and summon forth a beautiful new blade from his body all under his own power. He only covets the Tetsusaiga for sentimental reasons." He couldn't help the swell of pride he felt for his pup as he recalled the vision to his mind's eye.

"On the other hand, my younger son will only be a powerful half-demon because he will be _my_ son, but he will never be able to fully protect himself on his own without my sword. His abilities just aren't strong enough and his human blood will prevent him from being as ruthless as a full-blooded demon needs to be to do what is necessary. Take the humans I killed for the meido stone," he said with a pointed look. "I disliked the task, but I did so anyway without hesitation because the meido stone will be necessary for Sesshomaru's continued training when he is ready to use the Meido Zangetsuha. My youngest son's half-human heart would never allow him to carry out such tasks, to his detriment."

"Well, now I _know_ you're speakin' nonsense," Totosai muttered. "A god predicting your death is one thing. A vision telling you Sesshomaru will have enough compassion for Tenseiga to trust his judgment enough to grant him use of the Meido Zangetsuha is just ridiculous."

" _Tenseiga_ will trust?" the Demon Lord repeated curiously.

"Yes. _Most of the time_ , you have compassion towards humans and _yokai,_ and respect for the balance of life and death, so Tenseiga allows you to make use of its powers. However, Tenseiga remembers being a part of Tetsusaiga and it has never completely forgiven you for ordering its separation from the main body and leaving it with unheard-of abilities in a sword. When you couldn't control the Meido in Tetsusaiga, you got rid of it and when you couldn't control it in Tenseiga either, you completely gave up on it. When you decided it would only cut down beings from the Netherworld, you doomed it to constantly be passed over for Tetsusaiga. Do you know how damaging that is to a young demon blade's self-esteem? To always be passed over in favor of the older brother sword? Tenseiga has _always_ resented you for this, but has never let it interfere with its work, even when you do stupid things like steal rescued human souls. Is it no wonder that Tenseiga won't let you use the Meido Zangetsuha?"

The Great Dog Demon shifted his gaze from Totosai's fierce frown to the spirit killing blade still lying in the swordsmith's lap. He'd never thought to question _why_ he'd never been able to properly make a Meido. He knew both demon swords had a will and emotions, but he'd never given them much thought. He'd commissioned the swords as tools to serve as an extension of his will, not for him to give in to theirs. Perhaps that was where he'd gone wrong with the severed cast-off from Tetsusaiga. He had assumed the whole issue with producing a Meido lay with the technique itself, not in his relationship to the sword. Back then, Tenseiga had been much like a child desperately struggling to figure out what its purpose was and he hadn't given it that courtesy. How foolish of him. He had asked _much_ of this blade and even if it resented him, it never let him down.

He found himself smiling softly at the Sword of Heaven. "Then Sesshomaru will do much better work with Tenseiga than I originally imagined. What I saw, Totosai, was my youngest wielding Tetsusaiga. A black, starry _Meido-colored_ Tetsusaiga. Sesshomaru will learn compassion enough for Tenseiga to trust him with the Meido Zangetsuha, and my son will master it. Then when he has done so, my youngest will prove to his older brother that he is worthy of both Tetsusaiga and the power of the Meido. If Sesshomaru can do this, then it means he will no longer have any silly sentimental attachment to a blade that is useless to him. This is the only way he'll be able to surpass me, by proving he can stand on his own. Now I am certain that this is the correct path."

He was also certain Tenseiga would be much happier with this arrangement after he died. It even felt less like a betrayal to leave Sesshomaru with Tenseiga now. Both would do well with each other… _eventually_. This self-revelation also gave him a good source of inspiration for what he could say to Sesshomaru's mother when he gave her the Meido stone.

"I'm not allowed to tell anyone about this, am I?" Totosai said with a resigned sigh breaking the silence that had fallen.

The Dog General shook his head. "No, that I have seen visions of the future is for your ears alone, Totosai, and no sharing with Myoga. However, you may share my other revelations with Sesshomaru if you like, especially after he acquires his new sword. If he still has _any_ feelings towards me when that day comes, it might ease his heart to know that there was _some_ good done by not gifting him with Tetsusaiga and that it was not done to be cruel."

"I'll believe it when I see it," Totosai huffed, still not completely convinced. Well, he didn't have to be.

"There is another reason I came to see you, Totosai," he said, ready to get back on track with his original purpose for coming.

"Oh, well by all means, go ahead, my Lord," Totosai said with a wave of his hand.

"I have devised a plan to keep Tetsusaiga hidden from Sesshomaru until my youngest is about Sesshomaru's current age. I know it will work because the vision showed me this would be the case. However, in my haste, I have not considered how I will _continue_ to prevent Sesshomaru from obtaining the sword once it's within his reach. I need your help coming up with a solution."

Totosai looked stunned and scratched the top of his head uncertainly. "Oh, uh, well _that_ will be hard to do. Usually, in true demon fashion, demon blades are arrogant about who they will let use them and only want the strongest. So'unga is a very fine example of the typical methods used to limit random _yokai_ ownership. If a weak being took hold of So'unga, then the sword would possess their bodies and use them to act out its will. You, as an immensely powerful _daiyokai_ are able to not only _hold_ So'unga without being possessed by it, but _bend_ its terrible powers to your _own_ will. Now So'unga doesn't care if a demon or human takes hold of it, though some blades do. However, if a human _were_ to grasp So'unga, that wicked blade would not be able to use the Dragon Twister, for it requires its wielder to have _yokai_ blood. What you're wanting to do is the exact _opposite_ problem. You want to prevent a very powerful, full-blooded demon from being able to hold and use Tetsusaiga, and that's exactly what _you_ are. I can't make asword accept a contradictory condition. The poor thing would break apart just trying to reconcile with itself."

"Then can you reforge Tetsusaiga after I die? Reforge it to reject the touch of demon blood- no, _require_ it to accept the touch of human blood?" the Demon Lord demanded impatiently.

"Master, are you _trying_ to get me killed?" Totosai asked, his expression irate. "If I put such a requirement in the sword, I might as well kiss one of my best creations goodbye. I'd never be able to lay hands on the sword again if only an individual with human blood were allowed to touch it. It's a simple matter to reforge the sword, but at least be reasonable with your requests."

The stress of the swords' fates must be getting to him. That's the only reason he had for why he let himself pout like a petulant child in front of Totosai.

"If it's any consolation to you, my Lord, I believe you're on the right track with putting some kind of restriction against full-blooded demons being able to use it. Even if corrupted humans get their hands on your fang somehow, it won't transform into its weaponized form without demonic energy fueling the transformation," Totosai explained.

The Demon Lord felt as if he'd been struck dumb by lightning. "That's it!" he exclaimed, leaping to his feet. "Tetsusaiga already has a built-in defense against humans hurting themselves, but they're still allowed to touch it!"

" _Still_ doesn't allow _me_ to touch it if you wish to prevent a full demon from touching the sword," Totosai reminded him.

The Great Dog Demon would not be deterred though. "Totosai, aren't there also ways of binding demon swords to specific individuals? Why not add just enough of yourself into the sword that its integrity will not be compromised, but it will not react against you when you touch it?"

Totosai opened his mouth to argue the point, but then stopped and the Dog General could see the swordsmith thinking it over. "Huh, now that might actually work," Totosai admitted with a thoughtful nod. "Blood is a powerful sealing tool and a single drop won't affect the fang's personality. It should be enough for Tetsusaiga to recognize me. Alright, I'll reforge Tetsusaiga with the restrictions once you no longer need it, but I'll need materials to use as a medium to create this demon-repelling barrier of yours. I can't make something out of nothing, y'know."

The General let a slight smirk cross his face. "You let me worry about that, Totosai. I still have another year left in me," he reassured him. "By the way, when you _do_ reforge Tetsusaiga, is there any way you can enhance the protective aspects of myself and my compassion for humans within the blade?"

"Huh? Why d'ya wanna do that?"

"Just to make sure my youngest will be ready to use the sword for the right reasons," he answered vaguely, thinking back to his visions again and recalling all the humans he'd seen watching out for his son's back. Humans that his son had _allowed_ to stand behind him without needing to look over his shoulder and watch their every move.

* * *

 _I have been dying to get to this chapter since I first conceived of the idea (and it's currently the longest chapter of this story at nearly 5000 words). Totosai is my top favorite of the Dog General's old guy friends (though really, I love them all), and I am absolutely in love with the history, backstory, and mythos surrounding the Dog General's swords. There are a lot of problems with InuYasha, but those swords are one of its most powerful and redeeming features for me. Totosai's words to Sesshomaru and Inuyasha in Final Act about the swords played a significant role in the development of this idea that the Inu no Taisho saw visions of the future in regards to his sons and then at least shared some of these revelations with Totosai._

 _Some particular phrases Totosai says in Final Act that come to mind:_

 _"Do you really believe your father favored Inuyasha and simply left you the short end of the stick, so to speak?" - Episode 14  
_

 _"As long as you remain so narrowly focused on the heirloom Tetsusaiga, you will never understand your father's long-term plan." - Episode 14  
_

 _"Abandon your attachment to the sword as well as your hatred to Inuyasha. Once you do, you may very well surpass your father." - Episode 14_

 _"Besides, Sesshomaru hasn't realized this, but he's one step away from obtaining a weapon of his own, and he'll be pleased to learn that this one is not an heirloom from his father." - Episode 15_

 _"This sword has always been a part of you, Sesshomaru. It was waiting for you. But before you could wield it, you needed to show you were worthy of it by standing on your own as a great demon." - Episode 17_

 _"You once lost your left arm in an attempt to take Tetsusaiga; it was a most unfortunate event. But now, you have gained a new arm, along with Bakusaiga, a sword that is truly yours and yours alone, proving that you have finally surpassed your father and that you have been released from your obsession with Tetsusaiga." - Episode 17_


	5. Preparations: Lady Mother

**Author's Note: When I first started writing this fic, this chapter was supposed to be only a few paragraphs. That's it. We only see Sesshomaru's mother in the one episode, but I really liked her. She's a fun lady to work with.  
**

* * *

 **Preparations: Lady Mother**

"Saya! Remind me that I need to figure out what to do with So'unga when I die!" the Great Dog Demon shouted abruptly.

" _Huh? What are you saying so suddenly, my Lord? It's so early; don't you know what time it is?"_ Saya said, his tone bewildered, but only because it sounded like he'd just been woken up.

The Demon Lord's expression deadpanned. "It's the middle of the day, Saya."

" _Oh, so it is. How about that. Well, since everything looks good way up here in the sky where we are, I'll just go back and finish up my nap."_

"Saya, I'm serious; I need you to remind me that I need to come up with a plan for what to do about So'unga when I die," the dog demon repeated.

" _But my Lord, that's ages away. Why are you thinking about it now?"_

" **Sayaaaa,"** he growled.

" _Fine, fine, I'll remind you! There's no need to be so angry, my Lord!"_ Saya exclaimed, his voice high-pitched and panicked.

Maybe not, but the closer the end of his last year got, the more he felt the noose tightening around his neck. He didn't even know _exactly_ when he would die nor the circumstances behind it, and that was almost worse than knowing the general year it would happen. Well, it was worse in this particular instance. Despite his efforts, Izayoi had only become pregnant three months ago which put the time of his son's birth dangerously close to the time of his own death.

Only now as his end was approaching did he realize how precious little information he'd been given and the vision that was always haunting him behind his eyelids was the first one with Izayoi dead in childbirth and surrounded by fire. The only thing he knew with certainty was that his son would survive and nothing else. He didn't know if Izayoi would birth his son before he died or after. He prayed it was after because then he'd be able to save her with Tenseiga, but only if she wasn't killed before then. She had already accused him of smothering her multiple times and she wasn't even halfway through with her pregnancy. He couldn't help it if it was true. Atropos had left no hint as to the state of things either immediately before or after the visions.

He didn't even _know_ that this vision of Izayoi was of her birthing _his_ pup. For all he knew, she would bear another man's child after he'd passed on and the vision was of that birthing. Fortunately, he doubted that was the case. It would make no sense for Atropos to show him a vision of Izayoi dying while bearing another man's child if he was already dead. It wasn't something he could prepare for like the distribution of his heirloom swords. In fact, it was this very reasoning that was causing him so much worry. Atropos would not have shown him Izayoi's death if it meant he couldn't do something about it. However, the fact that she _had_ shown him meant the circumstances would be such that he would not have known without her interference. And truly, _that_ scared him more than anything.

There was nothing more he could do thinking about Izayoi's future right now. He'd already procured a robe of the fire rat to protect against the fire in the vision in case it proved useful. That was the best he could do. Right now, he was on his way to see his wife to complete his last self-assigned task. The dog demon glanced down at the necklace in his hands and his golden eyes were drawn to the meido stone set into the pendant. The troublesome thing had taken five whole months for Hosenki to finish and then another month to fashion the stone into a necklace he believed (hoped) would be suitable enough for his lady's impeccable sense of taste. He smelled her skybound castle long before he could see it and he passed through the obscuring cloud barrier without issue. It was a deceptively powerful barrier if one wasn't given permission by the noble demoness within to enter it. He was slightly surprised that she still allowed him to enter her domain.

The dog demon took in the sight of the castle before him and inhaled deeply when he didn't immediately see his wife. Once he had her scent, he set out to find her within the vast castle. The guards stationed around the outer walls and within didn't even react to his presence and he gave a small nod of appreciation for their discipline. He could hardly believe that his feet and nose led him to the armory, but there he found himself and there his lady stood gazing up at one of his oldest armors. Her expression revealed nothing, but after having been mated to her for nearly 300 years now, he liked to think he could read her better than in the earlier years of their marriage. She seemed more pensive and solemn than usual, not a common state for his lady who loved nothing more than to do what she pleased and be entertained in all endeavors.

"How unusual to see you here so soon," the Lady Mother said, but neither looked at him nor let any surprise color her tone. "I expected I wouldn't see you again for another twenty years or so. To what do I owe the honor, my dear husband?"

She looked him in the eyes then, sharp and deliberate, and he knew she was not happy with him. Her emotions were _always_ under control, but it was always her eyes that told him what it was she was feeling. At any rate, they were a better indicator than her words (which were almost always insincere) or her actions (which may be the result of a fanciful whim of hers or have many hidden meanings behind them). Yes, he had not seen her since he had started seeing Izayoi, but he knew better than to think that meant she didn't know about his affair. Judging from her expression, she did not take kindly to his new mistress. Even so, she hadn't done anything to Izayoi though she easily could have, and she'd still let him approach the castle unimpeded. That had to count for something. He couldn't guess what though. The mothers of his two sons could not be any more different in looks and personalities.

"My Lady, I have come for your assistance in accomplishing a task," he said. His first response was forthright and complete, but lacking exuberant detail. That was sure to attract his wife's interest.

A glimmer passed through her golden eyes and she turned her head sideways, but her gaze remained fixed on him. "Oh, the Great Dog Demon Lord and Conqueror of the Western Lands requires the aid of his esteemed and benevolent wife to accomplish something? I never thought the day would come when my lord and husband would ask anything more of me than to bear his son and heir. My, my, what _is_ this world coming to, I wonder? Seeing as how I've already successfully accomplished that task, I'm intrigued by this new request of yours. Please, do go on."

Where Sesshomaru was frugal with words to the point of being cryptic, the Lady Mother was equally so in the opposite extreme. Despite the differences, it truly astounded him how much like his mother Sesshomaru had turned out. The _daiyokai_ opened up his hands and held out the meido necklace to his wife. "I wish to give this to you, so that you may use it to assist our son when he comes to you for advice about his sword."

The Lady Mother stared down at the necklace with a critical, but curious eye. "Well, at least you made the attempt to gift me with something to my liking, but you are being unusually evasive with your words, my Lord Husband. Is it that human mistress of yours that has brought this behavior upon you? It ill suits you. Come, be frank with me. That is your true nature, yes?"

The Demon Lord could hardly believe his ears and it nearly made him blush at the realization. She was definitely interested in the nature of his gift and the favor he wanted from her, but there was more to her words that she wasn't saying. She was actually _playing_ with him! He couldn't even remember the last time she'd played and baited and been this openly affectionate with him! Not since Sesshomaru was still a pup, at least. She still liked him, even though she disapproved of his human mistress. It almost made him want to change to his true form and invite her on a chase through the clouds, just like they used to. But unfortunately, now was not the time. He had work to do.

"You are familiar with my failure regarding mastery of the Meido Zangetsuha in both Tetsusaiga and Tenseiga, yes?" the Dog General asked her.

His wife tapped one finger to her chin and sighed sadly, looking skyward. It was entirely for dramatic effect. "As if I could forget those _dreadful_ days. You were so morose and melancholy that you wouldn't even gift your pregnant wife the attention she so desired. Such a negligent and boring husband you were then."

He ignored the irrelevant parts of her statement. Which was most of it. "Well, I believe this necklace, specifically the Meido stone within, will be the key to unlocking the sword's ability to perform the technique and I am leaving this task to Sesshomaru as a test and a training tool."

The Lady Mother gave a soft, delicate laugh that almost masked its own mocking tone. "You're going to give the Tenseiga to Sesshomaru, are you? Worried our son might hurt himself with his father's big boy swords before his 400th year?"

"Sesshomaru still has much to learn, but I have every confidence that our pup will succeed where I have failed with Tenseiga, and he will be a much better master for the sword than I. He will master both Tenseiga and the Meido Zangetsuha," he declared with confidence, letting her know how serious he was.

Her expression closed off a little, but she was listening intently now. "And how do you hope to accomplish this? Even _I_ know that if you put Tenseiga in your son's hands right this minute, he wouldn't even be able to revive a single dead field mouse, much less save 100 lives or produce a Meido."

The Dog General was very well aware of that, but he knew it would happen. He'd seen it and he believed it. "How our son goes about overcoming those initial steps will be up to him and his choices. If he never does, then there is nothing we can do. However, should he reach the point where he can produce a Meido and advance no further on his own, I expect he will come to you for advice." He tapped the meido stone with one clawed finger. "But he will find more than just your words to aid him, for there are a few important lessons he must learn if he is to become Tenseiga's true master."

"My dear husband, the way you're speaking right now leads me to believe you won't be around to give Sesshomaru these lessons yourself," the Lady Mother said, her eyes piercing and critical once more.

The Demon Lord scoffed. "A ridiculous notion. I'm giving you a perfect excuse to force your adult son to visit you and the Lady accuses me of dying. My wife is the cruelest."

The Lady giggled, but this time it sounded genuine. "Now, my Lord, there's no need to emulate my mannerisms. You sound foolish when you do."

The Great Dog Demon smirked at his wife, pleased he could still get a real laugh out of her, and resumed the original topic of discussion. "This meido stone is capable of opening up a path to the Underworld, just as the Meido Zangetsuha can. Like all pathways to the Underworld though, there is an inherent risk involved for all who enter. If the path closes, none can return unless a new path is forged. While there is great danger in Sesshomaru entering the Underworld, you needn't be worried or concerned about him. The Meido Zangetsuha can serve as both an entrance _and_ exit portal."

"How thoughtful of you to make sure your only son isn't killed off while training with his future sword," his wife said with a quirk of her lips.

"Of course. What kind of father would I be otherwise?"

"One without an heir, that's who."

 _Gods above,_ he'd missed this playful banter between them. "And there are two lessons that Sesshomaru should take away from this training when he's finished: the desire to save the lives of those he loves who've died, and the sorrow and fear that comes from losing them." He pressed the meido necklace into her pale, soft hands and closed his own darker, sword-calloused hands around them, gazing deeply into her bright, golden eyes. "You must tell him this, my Lady: Tenseiga is a sword for healing. Only a person who values life and possesses a compassionate heart may wield such a weapon and use its power to bury their enemies. That is the requirement for any who wish to be worthy of Tenseiga, a sword that can save lives and condemn others."

The Demon Lord released his grip on her hands and let the Lady Mother carefully examine the meido stone in her hands and retain the information he'd just imparted to her. When she looked up at him again, his heart skipped a beat, for there on her face was an old and rare expression. A tiny, genuine smile that reached her eyes had graced her regal countenance, just as he'd seen in the vision Atropos had shown him a year and a half ago. She really _could_ make that expression still. His wife had a mind of her own and was difficult even at the best of times. There had been many instances over the last 300 years or so that he'd wondered whether she'd ever loved him or if he was only a toy for her to play with whenever it suited her fancy. And he bitterly wondered now, if he wasn't fated to die in another six months, if their relationship could go back to that old, familiar closeness.

He took a step closer to her and she raised one slender eyebrow up at him in question. He gave her a wry smile in response. Maybe it was just this fatalistic thinking and the nostalgia of their courting years that had him acting like this, but he laid his hands upon her shoulders and pulled her in for a kiss. His Lady stiffened at the contact, but nothing surprised him more than the gentle caress to his pointed ear and her lips responding warmly to his attentions. Encouraged, he brought her close, but his armor between them prevented him from feeling her warmth pressed up against him. He let loose a growl of frustration and his wife chuckled low and amused. A clunk and clatter told him she'd let the meido necklace fall to the ground and her now-free hand trailed lovingly along the side of his face and into his hair up to his ponytail. She gave a swift tug and his hair fell free like a long white river bursting free of a barrier. His wife gave a delightful laugh against his lips and pulled away just enough for him to see the smug challenge in her eyes.

"Does my presence please you, my Lord?" she asked, one hand resting on his shoulder still holding his hair tie and the other twining fingers idly in one of his long strands.

That insufferable arrogance of hers! It infuriated him as much as it drew him in. With one hand splayed across her back, his other caressed her side all the way down to her thigh where it remained. "My Lady, nothing would please me more than to have you disheveled, sweat-slicked, and writhing beneath me by my power and begging for my mercy." He squeezed her thigh and for an instant, she lost her precious control, the whites of her eyes flickering to red for the barest fraction of a second. It was nearly enough for _his_ eyes to change too.

"'Begging', you say?" his wife repeated, challenging, mocking, and seductive all at once. Her parted lips revealed the lengthening of her fangs, another sign of her slipping control. "It's been so long since you've warmed my bed, I've quite forgotten the meaning of the word. I'm afraid you'll have to give me your _very best effort_ to recall my memory of it, my Lord."

The Demon Lord released himself to his desire completely. His eyes changed from gold and white to blue and red, his fangs and claws lengthened, and his cheek stripes elongated and became more jagged. He could feel the shudder that passed through his wife and smell her arousal grow as a result of the partial transformation. "As a _daiyokai_ ,I would never _dare_ to give _anything_ , but my best, my Lady," he assured her with a throaty growl and reclaimed her lips with his.

It was after several hours and several matings (both in humanoid and dog forms) later that the Dog General and his wife found themselves wrapped up in each other, completely spent and covered in nothing but their furs. The Lady Mother had already drifted off to sleep, but the Demon Lord wasn't ready to let it claim him just yet. It had indeed been a long time since he'd coupled with his wife, even for demons. And just like everything else, even in mating, she and Izayoi were nothing alike, and yet, he cherished them both. Maybe even _loved_ them both? There was never a question about loving Izayoi and once upon a time, he would never have questioned loving his wife either. They had grown distant, there was no doubt, but… yes. He would be remiss if he claimed he didn't love her still.

He glanced down at his Lady's sleeping face from where her cheek was using his chest as a pillow. She didn't look _peaceful_ per say, but she didn't look so guarded either. Maybe calm or content was the right word. He ran one of his claws through her mused hair and decided that he would stay until she awoke. It wasn't like him at all. He usually had too much to do to allow the indulgence of sleeping with his wife after coupling, so he knew his presence would surprise her. Seeing her reaction was part of the reason for his decision to remain and another was that he hadn't taught her how to use the meido stone yet, but the most important reason was entirely for his own selfish purpose. He was certain this would be the last time he saw her before he died and he knew he was going to die sometime around the birth of his second son by another woman. His infant son would never know him, his human woman would gain a child, but lose her lover, and his teenage son would resent him. He didn't want his wife's last memory of him to be tainted with the bitterness and regret of things left unspoken. There would be plenty enough of that later. Maybe he could try and think of what to do with So'unga while he waited for either his wife to awaken or sleep to claim him too.

* * *

 _It's pretty easy to the initial foreplay and the aftermath, but I have to be in the right mood (ie. really horny) to actually write a sex scene and then in the right frame of mind to actually go through with posting it on FF. So yeah, I just glossed over it, but it happened. A lot. They have a lot of stamina._

 _Though I don't have much to support the idea except that Sesshomaru's mother does not appear to harbor any ill feelings towards her husband 200 years after his death, I like to think that the Inu no Taisho and the Lady Mother did love each other, and he might not have necessarily fallen OUT of love with her when he had his affair, but just found a DIFFERENT love with Izayoi. Whose to say he couldn't have genuinely loved both women at the same time? Inuyasha did with Kikyo and Kagome and polyamorous relationships are like that too._


	6. Final Night

**Author's Note: Well, this is the last chapter for this fic. The last part of this chapter bleeds into the beginning of the third movie, Swords of an Honorable Ruler, so that's where I got the dialogue from. Also, since I have no other way of replying to anonymous reviewers, I have to do so this way.**

 **Guest: I don't understand. If you're not enjoying my work, then why are you reading it?**

* * *

Final Night

The first clear space of land the General could find to land on was a sandy beach covered in snow at the coast. His descent was none too graceful, but he managed to transform back into a human form before his paws touched the ground. It was a harder landing than usual and he couldn't stop the pained wince that traveled up his legs to his shoulders. His entire body was in such agony, he could even feel the biting cold attempting to penetrate his bones. Blood was pooling from the deep, penetrating wound in his chest and more blood was soaking his left sleeve. He could feel it dripping steadily down his left arm from Ryukotsusei's last attack before he'd sealed him with his middle claw. He'd broken off too much of it and the base of his claw was bleeding now too. Compared to the rest of him though, a broken claw wasn't even worth noting. These wounds… though painful, they were not fatal if he took several days to rest and recover, but he didn't have time for that. Izayoi had gone into labor before he'd gone to battle Ryukotsusei. He didn't know if she had finished giving birth or not… if he was too late to save her.

He finally understood what the old Moirai had seen. He would not survive the night, but he might still have a chance to save Izayoi and his newborn son. He'd done everything he could to protect his sons. Tetsusaiga's and Tenseiga's futures were certain and he'd told Saya that his two swords together would have to destroy So'unga and seal it in the Netherworld. He only hoped the old sword sheath would remember and pass it on to the others. He'd only just come up with the idea on the flight to Ryukotsusei's valley.

The dog demon narrowed his eyes suddenly and sniffed the air. Even the falling snow and the strong sea breeze could not deter his detection of the familiar scent coming rapidly towards him from the southwest. He sighed and stood tall turning to watch his son's approach. He could hide his pain with stoic indifference, but he could do nothing to hide the stench of blood. He'd already made his peace with the pup's mother and given her his final farewells, but not the pup himself. In truth, he'd been putting it off. It was foolish and illogical, but he'd felt that if he said goodbye to his son, it would only make his inevitable death even more real. Now his son was coming to him on the final night of his life when he couldn't afford to dally. But still, he stayed and he waited. This would be the last time he ever saw his son in this world.

Sesshomaru's landing behind him was much more graceful than his own had been on the snowy surface. "Father, you've returned," he said with an almost solemn air.

The _inu daiyokai_ watched his teenage son's eyes first widen then narrow and his nose wrinkle at the heavy smell of blood permeating the air around them. It was unlike Sesshomaru to seek him out after a battle like this. Were it any other demon, he might have suspected they had come to finish him off while he was weakened, but not his pup. Sesshomaru didn't have his mother's experience at masking and controlling his emotions and he could see plain as day that his son was worried for him.

"Father, what are you doing here in a place like this with such injuries?" Sesshomaru asked.

Scratch that; his son was _very_ worried for him if he was 'wasting words' on stating the obvious. Sesshomaru was basically telling him to return home to recover, but he couldn't. Not tonight.

"I only needed to set down on land for a moment," he explained. "I'll be going to Izayoi shortly. She's giving birth right now."

Sesshomaru couldn't control his reaction quick enough to hide the disgust and fury that stole over his features. "That _human_ woman?"

The Demon Lord said nothing and turned away from his pup to face the tumultuous Eastern Sea. Several more splatters of blood dripped down his arm to join the puddle forming on the sand below. He was running out of time and was not inclined to remain if his son was going to be difficult.

"Father, do you insist on going?" Sesshomaru demanded, his irritation still audible.

"Do you intend to stop me, Sesshomaru?" the dog demon retorted, ready to call upon his demonic energy and force his dominance upon Sesshomaru until he yielded. Son or not, he would not let the pup prevent him from protecting his mistress and unborn child.

Sesshomaru fell silent for a brief spell. "I will not stand in your way," he said, his voice subdued and submissive to the trained ear. "However, before you go, you must entrust the swords So'unga _and_ Tetsusaiga to me."

The Great Dog Demon could have barked a mocking laugh at himself. How well he knew his son. Not even in the grave yet and he was already seeking the two swords he valued, but was not meant to have. _"Your future lies not with them, my son,"_ he thought fondly, but he kept his voice harsh and emotionless when he spoke again. "And if I refuse, will you kill me? Your own father?"

The question was rhetorical and Sesshomaru didn't answer. He knew the pup couldn't kill him, even in this weakened state. No, _especially_ because of his weakened state. It was typically the way of the _inu_ _yokai_ sons to defeat their father in combat to prove they'd surpassed them and the results of such duels were usually fatal to said fathers. It was that way for his own father. Sesshomaru would not want to fight him weakened like this; such a victory would mean nothing.

The General sighed heavily. "Do you desire power that much? Why do you seek power, my son?" This would be the last test, the last lesson he could give his eldest in-person. He would see how he answered. It would determine whether he left this world with the peace of mind knowing his son would pull through every future obstacle on his own merits or if he'd severely misjudged him.

"The path I walk is the way of supreme conquest, and it is power that will reveal the way for me," Sesshomaru responded with unwavering confidence.

"Supreme conquest…" he repeated aloud. Did Sesshomaru even know what it meant? Truly? "Tell me, Sesshomaru. Have you someone to protect?"

"Protect?" Sesshomaru said, bewildered.

He didn't, not yet. The Demon Lord knew this without asking, but it was a single step in the right direction upon the path Sesshomaru wished to tread if he sought supreme conquest. With the Swords of the Three Worlds at his side, he was technically the Ruler of Supreme Conquest. Mastery of the Three Worlds meant mastery of the three swords and the strength of body, mind, and heart to temper their mighty powers.

Tetsusaiga required strength of body: the fortitude to endure against all odds in any situation to persevere against the powerful in defense of others.

So'unga required strength of the mind: a clear focus untroubled by negative emotions and an iron will to assert control, for So'unga would pry open any weaknesses it sensed to possess its wielder instead.

And Tenseiga required strength of the heart: compassion for life and mercy for those without power, but uncompromising against those who seek to take life.

The Ruler of Supreme Conquest was not only a powerful warlord, but a powerful man of just and honorable character (though this did not mean such a man was viceless). Sesshomaru was not that, not if he couldn't understand Tenseiga's value to the one who strives to walk the path of supreme conquest, and he was therefore unfit to receive any but the sword he had the most to learn from.

"The answer is 'no'. I, Sesshomaru, have no need of such," Sesshomaru answered at last.

That was all he'd needed to hear. _"You will, my son. You will,"_ he silently promised as he transformed with thoughts about the visions of the human girl and the demon woman comforting his mind and reassuring him Sesshomaru would choose the right path.

He howled at the moon once when he'd completed the transformation and leaped into the air again without a backward glance or words of parting for his eldest child and the only son he'd ever known. He'd wasted enough time here and Izayoi's time was short without his intervention. The dog demon ran through the air as he flew, his paws swiping snow clouds out of the way and dispersing them into nothingness. Without the armor on his chest holding back the blood from his open gut wound, there was nothing stopping the blood from gushing out and falling to the ground below. The energy and motion he was exerting was only making the blood leek out faster, but he couldn't afford to stop.

When the dog demon saw he was approaching the eastern edge of the forest Izayoi's mansion resided in, he flew lower until he landed thunderously upon the ground. He didn't even break his stride as he pelted headlong through the bamboo forest. _Somehow_ , Myoga managed to latch onto his white fur because shortly after entering the forest, he heard the flea _yokai's_ high-pitched voice carry into his ears over the pounding of his paws on the hard earth.

" _Please,_ Master, I beg you not to be so rash!" his vassal pleaded, "Please reconsider, my Lord! The wounds from your battle with Ryukotsusei have not yet healed! This is sheer madness!"

"That doesn't matter. I _cannot_ afford to lose her!" he said abruptly even as he felt Myoga crawling from his neck to the fur around his right eye.

"Please, my Lord!"

"Besides…" he continued in a quieter voice, more for himself than for his loyal friend. His eyes narrowed too; there was something afoot up ahead where Izayoi's mansion lay. "I am not one for this world."

Myoga babbled some more, but he wasn't listening to him and the flea eventually departed of his own volition as he climbed up a cliff-like rocky outcropping that had a perfect view overlooking Izayoi's mansion. Up here in the cold, clear air, his hearing, sight, and smell were unimpeded and his senses were not telling him good news. There was a commotion of moving armor and weapons at the front gates of her home, lit torches burned in that same area, and he could smell her blood coming to him now on the high winds.

" _Izayoi, I'm coming for you,"_ he thought fiercely.

The smell of her blood frightened him and decided his course of action for him. Instead of backtracking down the mountain overlook, he launched himself off the top directly to her mansion's entrance. The Dog General smashed through the tops of trees and landed heavily upon the ground, throwing clods of dirt into the air that obscured him completely from these new enemies that sought to stand between him and his woman. Not even his own son had dared to do so. But then only humans would think to do something so foolish and expect a different outcome. At any other time, he might have found it endearing, but right now, he only found the attribute to be a vexing one.

He exhaled briefly once and then transformed back into his human form while the dirt clouds still obscured him. The dog demon drew forth Tetsusaiga and the blade sang to life with his demonic energy empowering it.

"Wind Scar!" he shouted and sent the grooves of energy right at the front gate, destroying the entrance, part of the walls, and anyone who'd stood in the way.

He charged forward and watched the men move around on the walls and the ground. He would not hunt them down if they fled, but if they did not desist immediately, he would cut them down without mercy. His empathy for humans only extended so far. Arrows fired at him from the light of their torches. Most of them missed, but a few embedded in his arms and armor. He could have avoided them, but it would have been more work than it was worth. These were not sacred arrows, so they were no more painful than when he'd broken his claw to the quick to seal Ryukotsusei. He launched another Wind Scar in retaliation and this time he completely destroyed the north wall and half the residing guards.

"Izayoi! Izayoi!" he shouted, running through the destroyed wall into the outer courtyard. Where was she?

From within the shadows of one of the long hallways came forth a familiar red-armored human. He recognized this one; it was Takemaru, a man his woman had known and been friends with _long_ before their first meeting.

"At last, you've come, demon." The man's dark eyes narrowed in a mixture of fury and triumph. "A little late though."

"What?!" the dog demon snapped to mask his fear, turning to give the warrior his full attention. Izayoi's scent and the cries of a newborn, the cries of his son, were coming from somewhere behind the human.

"Lady Izayoi is beyond your reach now. I dispatched her myself."

Fury and fear flooded through him in equal measure with those words and he bared his fangs at the human. "Damn you, fool!" he snarled and charged.

Takemaru drew his sword from his sheath and charged at him as well. He didn't even care to respect his courage in facing a far-superior foe, as he usually did with human opponents. There was no hesitation in his movements nor did his injuries cause him to falter as he severed Takemaru's left arm with Tetsusaiga and tore through the mansion in the direction of Izayoi's scent and his son's voice. He had not been running down the open walkway for long when he smelled smoke and char and saw flaming arrows shooting overhead. A snarl escaped his lips, but he kept on running. It was not much longer before he found himself inside Izayoi's room, but the fire had already fanned into a blazing inferno and was devouring everything. The smoke was thick and it was only because of his previous injuries that his eyes stung and he was having trouble breathing. His newborn son's cries were coming from just beyond the drapes surrounding Izayoi's futon, but he couldn't hear the child's mother at all.

The Dog General rushed over and tossed the burning materials aside, shouting his woman's name. The sight that met his eyes was one he'd been seeing in his nightmares; the vision of two years ago turned into reality. "Izayoi…" he breathed shakily.

He shook himself out of it and reached for Tenseiga. She hadn't been dead long; he wasn't too late to save her. He let the Heavenly Fang hover over Izayoi's body and the blade reacted with a pulse of blue-white light, allowing him to glimpse the wretched forms of the Netherworld minions surrounding her.

"Carry out my will, Tenseiga," he told the sword.

It might have been a command in his voice, but it was a plea in his heart. He had put the young sword through much and this was his final request of it. Tenseiga's hilt warmed in his clawed hands for a moment, an acknowledgement, and he sliced through the Netherworld minions in two quick strokes. Izayoi's wounds closed and the blood disappeared from her clothes, but the _yokai_ didn't breathe easier until he saw her stir and her eyes open. Only then did he return Tenseiga to its sheath and withdrew the robe of the fire rat from the space between his armor and his kimono. He had been right to acquire one after all. Considering his chest injury, he had no idea how the thing didn't have a speck of his blood on it, but he wasted no time in covering Izayoi with it to protect her from the growing flames. In doing so, he managed to get a brief glimpse of his son. Upset and crying his lungs out, the white hair was no surprise, but the little triangular dog ears on the top of his head were. It was probably because he was only a half-demon. There were no markings on the child's face. His eyebrows looked like they would become thick and dark like his, but he wished the infant would stop crying long enough to see his eyes. He wondered if they were the bright blue of a newborn puppy or more gray for a human.

The raging fire all around them and his wounds were his only excuse for why he didn't sense Takemaru's approach before he was already standing at the edge of Izayoi's room. The human's breathing was labored and though the fire was wreaking havoc on his sense of smell, he could still detect an incredible amount of blood loss. He was certainly a persistent human. The Demon Lord on the other hand was starting to realize just how terrible his condition was. The adrenaline and energy reserves that he had been relying on after sealing Ryukotsusei had finally run dry now that he was assured Izayoi and his youngest son were alive. This Takemaru though, he had already tried to kill them both and had briefly succeeded with Izayoi once already. He was not about to risk their lives again.

He was not a _daiyokai_ for nothing though. He kept his expression cool, focused, and revealed nothing of his inner feelings as he stood up from his place by Izayoi's side and faced his opponent. His last opponent. The Dog General's hand started automatically drifting to the hilt of the sword on his back before he'd even realized it. He hadn't consciously chosen to draw So'unga, but of course there was no question.

So'unga was his _first_ sword. He'd had it since he was Sesshomaru's age now, and though he knew better than to trust the blade, they had formed a bond borne of respect for the other's power. His relationship to Tetsusaiga was more that of a tool serving as an extension of his strength, not like the one he had to So'unga. The Great Dog Demon was not a fool though. He knew that as soon as he was dead, So'unga would seek to become a blade of blood and reckless conquest once more and had no illusions that So'unga would harbor some residual fondness for him and the thousand years they'd spent together. It was a demon sword after all.

"I have no regrets about fighting you to the death. Let us journey together into the Netherworld," Takemaru said. He kept walking forward with a single-minded determination. The determination to die and take him down to hell with him.

" _One last run for the both of us, wicked blade of mine,"_ the Demon Lord thought as he adjusted his grip on So'unga. It was only fitting that the first sword he'd ever fought with should be the last one he fought with as well.

"Live long," he said to the woman and child at his back.

"My dearest!" Izayoi cried for him.

He let himself feel pride for her in his heart. She was an incredibly strong woman. Even knowing that he might die tonight, she stood tall and regal and would not break down into an unmoving, sobbing mess as he knew other human women seemed wont to do. Izayoi truly was a lady worthy of him and his new son, a son he had yet to name. They had never officially decided who would be responsible for naming the child, but somehow, he knew it was up to him just as it had been him who had named Sesshomaru.

"Inuyasha," he said at last.

"What is that?" Takemaru barked, his irritation and confusion almost tangible.

"The infant's name," the Demon Lord said softly. His words were only for Izayoi's benefit, regardless of Takemaru's presence. "The child shall be called Inuyasha."

Izayoi gasped in understanding and murmured their son's name under her breath. It pleased him to hear her say it, but the fire was only growing stronger while his own strength weakened drastically with every second that passed.

"Now, _go!_ " he ordered, his eyes tightening around So'unga's hilt in preparation. He wished he could look at her one last time, but he dared not take his eyes off Takemaru in his current state.

"Yes," she said, complying with his request, and headed towards the south entrance away from where the fires had started.

Once again, he found his tortured heart swelling with pride for his woman. She did as he asked, knowing he wouldn't be able to fully focus if he had to worry about her too. She did not toss him any mushy farewells or try and force him to make an impossible promise that he could not keep. And she did not let her tender-hearted human emotions get the best of her when it was not safe to do so and tears would only hinder her. Izayoi was truly a wonderful and practical lady, and he was glad he'd gotten to know her, brief as it was. With his woman and child safe and out of harm's way, the Great Dog Demon summoned forth the energies of the So'unga's Dragon Twister and let it wrap around himself before clashing blades with Takemaru.

Even so, as he parried and struck and the mansion collapsed all around them while his body failed him, his thoughts lingered lovingly on the human woman. _"Izayoi, you must survive. Live a long life. Live long and well with Inuyasha."_

* * *

 _I was watching the opening scene of Swords of an Honorable Ruler to get the dialogue written right (oh no, so terrible. I had to watch one of my favorite scenes from my favorite InuYasha movie multiple times. Truly, I will never get over this), and I realized two things. One, I realized just how darn stoic Izayoi was throughout the whole thing after the Inu no Taisho showed up, and I was shocked. For some reason, it just never registered with me that she wasn't super emotional about the fact that her lover was about to die. Neither Kagome nor Sango are like that. Second, I realized that So'unga was his first sword because he had it WAY before Tetsusaiga and Tenseiga were created (yes, I know it was said so, but that connection didn't really hit home 'til I was watching again) and it is therefore **possible** that he actually had a stronger attachment to that sword than to the other two. I mean, the swords mean a lot to his sons, but for the Inu no Taisho, maybe he might see the swords as just swinging around one of his teeth as a weapon in his _ hand _instead of in his_ mouth _._


End file.
